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EAGLE CREEK, Ore. -- A man who admitted to police that he killed his dogs because he couldn’t afford to take care of them now has a puppy at home – despite a judge’s order against it.

Japheth (J.P.) Daniel Stalcup, 25, is awaiting trial on aggravated animal abuse charges in connection to the November alleged killings of his two dogs. As part of his conditions to be free from jail is the order of “no possession or living with any animals.”

Acting on a tip from a viewer that Stalcup had a puppy, KATU visited his home in Eagle Creek, Ore., on Monday. We talked to Stalcup’s wife, Rose Stalcup. She admitted they had the puppy, but said it was OK. She also said the couple had the puppy before the judge's ruling.

“It’s legal. We’ve already looked into it,” she said, then ordering KATU to leave the property.

Reached by telephone, J.P. Stalcup also said his lawyer cleared it with a judge to have pets at home. However, prosecutors said the defendant is not allowed to be in a home with animals.

Attempts to reach Stalcup’s attorney on Monday were not successful.

It is standard for defendants awaiting trial on animal abuse charges to not have contact with animals.

The investigation of Stalcup, 25, began when he initially told police his dogs had gone missing and that he later found Buddy and Duke dead about 100 yards from the house. Both dogs had been killed with an axe.

“What happens if, you know, they do that a couple more times and all of the sudden they’re not happy with – it’s not giving them as much jollies as it was the first couple times – so what are they gonna do next?,” Stalcup said in November.

As the police investigation progressed, he eventually admitted to killing the dogs with an axe because he couldn’t think of an alternative to caring for them.